Economist - Competition and State Aid Directorate

Position description

The EFTA Surveillance Authority

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) is an international organisation which monitors compliance with the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, enabling those States to participate in the Internal Market of the European Union.

ESA's work helps remove barriers to trade and opens up new opportunities to over 450 million Europeans, creating jobs and growth and adding to the international competitiveness of the States.

ESA currently employs staff members of 21 different nationalities from across the EEA. Based in Brussels, ESA is collocated with in the EFTA House with its sister organisations the EFTA Secretariat and the EEA and Norway Grants (FMO).

Job Reference: VA 07/2025

Role description

ESA is recruiting an Economist to join its Competition and State Aid Directorate (CSA).

CSA is a multi-disciplinary team comprising both economists and lawyers. It enforces the competition and state aid rules of the EEA Agreement, as well as regulation in the electronic communications sector (eCom).

In the field of competition, CSA’s work is focused on abuse of dominance cases and anti-competitive agreements (articles 54 and 53 EEA, which mirror articles 102 and 101 TFEU). In state aid, CSA’s portfolio is diverse - covering all relevant sectors, guidelines and procedures. In relation to eCom, the regulatory framework established by the European Electronic Communications Code requires the national regulatory authorities in the EEA EFTA States to notify - prior to adoption - certain draft measures to ESA. CSA may comment on such draft measures or may request their amendment or withdrawal.

In all areas of work, CSA co-operates closely with the European Commission to ensure the consistent application of legislation throughout the EEA.

We are looking for a well-qualified economist with experience in competition, state aid and/or eCom regulation. The ideal candidate will have a solid understanding of competition economics, including state aid control and/or the economics of regulation.

The successful candidate will be part of CSA’s Chief Economist Team and report to the Chief Economist. The work will be co-ordinated by the Deputy Director for Competition and Regulation and the Deputy Director of State Aid. The candidate will also report to the Director of CSA. Depending on workload and other developments, the concentration of responsibilities between the areas of work may vary throughout the year.

Main tasks of the position include:

• Applying competition economics/financial economics to CSA’s competition, state aid and eCom casework. This will involve performing qualitative and quantitative economic analyses, as well as regular case-handling duties;
• Communicating technical economic concepts in a clear and accessible manner, both verbally and in writing to non-economists;
• Monitoring and participating in international working groups and other fora with other competition and regulatory authorities, including the European Commission.

Additional qualified candidates will also be considered for similar vacancies arising in the Directorate over the next 18 months.

The following qualifications are essential

• Master’s degree (or higher) in the field of economics or related fields;
• Minimum five years of relevant professional experience in the private or public sector;
• Experience in performing quantitative and qualitative economic analyses;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English (ESA’s working language);
• Excellent organisational, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills;
• Initiative and the ability to work both on an independent basis and as a solution-oriented team player in an international and multi-disciplinary environment.

The following qualifications are desirable

• Experience in applying EEA/EU competition rules;
• Experience in applying EEA/EU state aid rules;
• Experience and competence in applied corporate finance;
• Knowledge of the EEA EFTA States’ telecommunications markets;
• Experience with statistical methods and software (e.g. Stata, R, or Python).

Conditions

ESA offers a dynamic and diverse work environment, providing the chance to collaborate with a team of highly skilled professionals. You will be part of an organisation that values professionalism, cooperation, trust, responsibility and respect.

We offer:

• International experience and professional development;
• An inclusive and supportive environment with high regard for cultural differences;
• Competitive salary and benefits package, and favourable tax conditions;
• Generous leave scheme;
• Medical, life and disability and travel insurances;
• Savings fund to assist with retirement planning;
• Flexible working arrangements;
• Language training expenses.

This position will be filled in accordance with ESA’s policy on Recruitment available at: https://jobs.eftasurv.int. The position is placed at grade A4 of ESA’s salary scale, with a likely starting salary of between €112 780 and €118 650 per annum. Depending on personal situation and family status, additional allowances and benefits may apply. Tax conditions are favourable.

Type and duration of appointment: fixed-term contract of three years, renewable for a further three years if desirable and in the interest of ESA. Candidates must be nationals of the States party to the EEA Agreement (EU + EEA EFTA) at the point of application and the time of any offer being made.

ESA actively seeks to promote a healthy work/life balance and a working environment allowing its staff members to develop their professional skills and interests.

Application instructions

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